In Sarthe, a raffle ticket for a work by Pierre Soulages

A mysterious donor offered Secours populaire de la Sarthe a work by Pierre Soulages, the flagship prize of the charity association’s solidarity raffle. On March 28, the day of the draw, one lucky person will be able to become the holder of the work Blue and Black Composition, a numbered and signed print on paper by the painter who died in October 2022, after purchasing a 2 euro ticket. The work is estimated between 800 and 1200 euros, according to Le Monde.

“There is consistency between the very nature of this lot and our solidarity policy, which is not content with providing material aid to those who need it but proposes actions in favor of access to culture and artistic practice,” explained Valentin Bourgeois, director of the Sarthoise branch of Secours populaire, to our colleague from Le Monde.

Two draws are planned. A first national will take place on March 22, with, among around a hundred prizes linked to the sporting world, a jersey autographed by Kylian Mbappé, or cycling champion Jeannie Longo. A second, departmental, will take place on March 28 where the public can hope to win the work of Pierre Soulages.

This generous donation is reminiscent of that of another anonymous benefactor who gifted Secours populaire with two works by Banksy last June. One of them, a cardboard box depicting the Flower Thrower, now adorns the walls of a lucky buyer following the solidarity raffle last March.